His Prince, His Hero
by MeredithsPhantom
Summary: Older Finn meets a strange pink-prince while out in the forest one day. As the hero and prince grow closer, complications threaten to tear-apart their budding relationship.
1. Chapter 1

(( For Happy Lollipop on Tumblr, who makes the cutest art for Finn/Gumball. Love this crackship. I hope she enjoys it. Keep in mind AU hunter woodsman Finn and fancy princey Gumball. I think its gets very, "Sleeping beauty" Enjoy. ))

* * *

A shadow passed through the trees of the woods. It went unnoticed in the milky haze and gray sky's of dawn. Speed, grace, agility allowed the figure to move upon the grass, down the hillsides and through the treetops, soundless-fleeting like the wind, and completely undetected.  
The morning was pure, not ideal conditions for staying hidden from the entities of the forest, but the cool crisp air pleased him nonetheless. He had been on a mission this morning, visiting the sacred stone of his brother, his golden companion.  
Jake had been gone for two years now, and Finn had grown, making the final leaps and transitions from a gangly teen, into a young confident man of sixteen. This particular morning seemed to reflect back Jakes spirit. Pure, clean, cool. The site was simple, a clean cut glossy stone- It was adorned with simply one word- _brother._ He had knelt before that stone, placing a flower upon it. He didn't cry, as a rule he didn't cry.  
He could perhaps, if he felt like it; these woods were perfect to lurk in, to keep him from the curious and peeping eyes of strangers. He had left the treehouse those two years ago. There had been too-much hurt. He favored the life now of a rolling-stone, never staying in one place of the vast forests for too-long. His residence now was a small cottage. It was greatly abandoned, Ivy adorning the outdoor walls, growing in through the walls and into the windows of the small bedroom upstairs. It bordered a stream, and he found himself there most mornings, slipping off his boots to give his feet a dip, or go about nimbly skipping stones.  
Today he found himself in a clearing, and as he slid down the trunk of a tree to sit, he pushed his bear-hood back. The wind picked up, ruffling his golden hair and he allowed his eyes to flutter shut. This was dangerous of course, predators, villains-but on this particular morning he found himself just too tired to give a care. No, Finn would stay, and he would nap.  
Its what he liked to do.  
Adventure, nap, travel, nap, travel, nap, hunt, adventure. A constant and unbending cycle.  
Finn plucked a piece of grass, gently shredding it between his fingertips. He concentrated on this blade of grass-Like shredding it was a daunting task. He felt so lonely now without his Bro...He shook his head quickly, erasing those thoughts. Yes, a nap was needed, a good long nap.  
So Finn settled his head back against the tough tree-bark and the wind and sun began to play with his long bangs, his shaggy hair.  
Soon enough, he began to dream, to escape reality. At least for now.

* * *

Prince Gumball-Head of the royal candy kingdom strode grandly through the forest. He held his head high, red cape flared out behind him; adding a strange flair to his entirely-pink attire. Some would call him foolish, thinking a prince could walk unattended in the forest.  
And while he did harbor a special knack for baking and sewing, the prince was nothing if not a a responsible young man. The collar of his cape was turned up, and he kept a quick and confident stride, he was so unlike the boy of only two years ago; who had been considered, by many enemy's or people of esteem to be weak, defenseless.  
That was truly not the case, and while the Ice Queen still made her usual rounds of terror, the Prince found himself changed.  
Why, walking through the woods right now, taking in the fresh air and the absolute beauty of woods; he kept a confident stride, and a sword tucked in a sheath. It seemed as though, in this moment, not even the Ice-Queen herself would dare and try to mess with him.  
My, My-what a difference two years can make indeed.  
For instance, (and the thought had him a-shudder for many reasons) He was twenty. In one-years time, by royal law and command, he would be on the verge of wedding a suitable woman of stature, whoever she may be. So he treasured these moments. These times of solitude and thinking in the vast forests. He didn't want to get married, date, see lady's or be a suitor. He was a young man-so why force marriage?  
Alas, he would sigh and ask himself these things. A thousand swirling thoughts in his mind.  
So these rare peaceful moments, they were well, special. Private moments of thinking very dear to him.

So it was, when he found himself walking in the woods, his feet quietly carrying him forwards, did he hear a small noise.  
At first he was unsure of it, but as he listened closer to the phantom noise he found his own feet drawing him forward. Curiosity burning over his rational subconscious mind.  
He trod forward, poking his way through the trees and shrubs until he knocked past a gnarl of a bush and his purple eyes found themselves upon a small woodland clearing and sitting, slumped up against a tree, was a golden haired boy.  
He was singing, low words almost too quiet for Gumball to hear.  
"_Sleepy puppies, in the morning you'll get goodies...," _The Mystery boy sang. His eyes were closed, and he sang lightly, his lips pink and trembling.  
Gumball strained his eyes to see the small glisten of light..._a teardrop_

He blinked once, and the crystal-Like tear was gone from sight, and so they boy continued in his song.  
He was younger yes, but seemed to carry upon him the weight of fifty years in that one song.  
He was young, as concluded before. Golden hair and a white scarf draped around his neck, it flowed down his back, the ends softly patting the ground. His skin was pink, not like Gumballs of course, but in a healthy natural way.  
Light blue shirt, long pants and a pair of boots sliding just up the way to his knees; his side contained a belt, holding a variety of small tools and weapons.  
He seemed so innocent, this boy, entirely too innocent to inflict violence upon anyone.

Gumball, favoring the light music, the voice of the young man, found him transfixed. Cocking his head to the side, he stepped forward for a better listen. Until his foot, stepping over a small twig shattered it, leaving a seemingly small snapping noise.  
It must have been louder, to the boy however, for when Gumball glanced bag from the twig to under the tree canopy, the boy was gone, disappearing like a mirage of the forest.

He sighed, turning to go. Perhaps it was all just a silly daydream, singing  
golden-haired boys, impossible.  
Until of course, in a very real manner, he was tackled to the ground around the ankles.  
The prince fell, hitting the ground in a hard huff. He felt his golden crown with its  
aqua-colored jewel bounce from his head; whipping his head around he searched in vain trying to see where it had landed.  
As an incredibly long moment past, Gumball lowered his head back, accurately aware of the sharp pain of his wrists, now pinned above his head. He looked up, his eyes meeting a round face, that of the singing boy.  
He glared, all signs of peaceful singing and pleasantness gone. He held a small blade dangerously close to the princess throat, straddling his hips as he leaned over him.  
"Who. Are. You?" He hissed, gritting his teeth. His chest heaved as he breathed, inches away from Gumballs own beating chest. His blue shirt riding up to reveal a stretch of pink, smooth stomach-the boy repositioned, kneeling over Gumball to press the blade firmer to his throat.  
"I said-" He all but spat, "Who. Are. You?"  
"I'm…I'm Bubba Gumball." He swallowed, gritting his teeth. He didn't like this young stranger, thinking he could push him around. He was just minding his own business wasn't he?  
He struggled, sitting up until he pushed the boy back, restraining his wrists, he blade clattered into the grass, until both of them pressing, stood on their knees- semi eye to eye as each restrained the others wrists.  
"Who are you?" He questioned.  
Finn ignored him, pressing back and trying to gain the upper hand with no weapon, but on the count of physical strength. Gumball this time, was quicker, pressing back so Finn fell upon his rear end, splayed out on the grass.  
Gumball wrapped his own fingers around the boy's wrists, acting as restraints- a bead of sweat trickled from under the boy's…hat? It had looked like a white scarf, but it wasn't it was a white bear hat, the golden bangs of the younger man slipping from beneath it.  
"Who, are, you?" He demanded again, persperation straining down his own face. The calm sounds of the forest seemed eerily peaceful, from the outside of their ball of tension.  
The boy relaxed, sitting back on his heels and straightening his shirt, hiding the strip of soft flesh. He exhaled loudly, blowing his bangs. He looked directly at Gumball, blue eyes focusing on him as he said, calmly: "I'm Finn. Finn the human."

* * *

(( I hope you all actually enjoy this! My writing is sub-par but, I might expand on this should people enjoy it. Let me know!)) 


	2. Chapter 3

Hey guys! So Im so so so so, soooooo, infinitely sorry to all my lovely followers and watchers and reviewers!  
But let it be known I will be continuing, editing, and updating this story soon as a personal writing goal to myself.  
For more info on me, please find my blog online at merediths magic castle . tumblr . com (No spaces)

Thank you! And I cannot wait to show you the writing improvements I have made.  
Lots of love,  
Meredith


	3. Burn marks

Hi everyone! The only thing I have to say is, thank you so, so much for all the kind reviews and follows! I would also like to apologize for the lack of updates, school has been a killer, but I'll try to be updating this, and my other story 'Mirror to you' more often. I'll also be editing and revising previous chapters to show off my new writing style. I'm currently working on the next chapter as we speak.  
Thank you! And I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Fascinating, absolutely fascinating!" Gumball, this prince guy, continued to rave on.  
Once all had been sorted out to the point Finn was sure this guy wasn't an assassin following after him, (although that seemed entirely too impossible, Finn thought. Assassins don't wear bright red capes or heavy golden crowns. Plus this guy seemed like such a…dork,) Finn had dusted himself off, and made sure Gumball once again had his crown in his possession.  
While grateful, Gumball seemed more interested in Finn then his crown. Apparently humans were rare, as if Finn didn't know that already. According to Gumball, a common human hadn't been seen in hundreds of years. Finn began to grit his teeth at this pink prince. As if he needed another reminder he was alone! So Finn walked steadily ahead, trying to block out the Prince's excited babbling. The sun was rising higher into the morning sky, and Finn was beginning to feel naked without the cover of the shadowy dawn. Stepping over a rock, and turning around the bend in an ancient tree, he slowly picked his through the woods. When he reached the final bend, he reached forward, slowly pulling a hanging curtain of leaves and vines provided by the weeping willow. He ushered the pink prince past him, and it was only once he was inside of the hiding place did he quiet, eyes growing wide.  
In front of them, hidden away from the rest of the world laid the tiny cottage in all its vine-covered glory.  
"What is this?" He asked softly, and Finn simply shrugged.  
"This is home."  
Home. The word felt so funny slipping off his tongue. He hadn't had a home since Jake died…since they grew up together with Mom and Dad, boy and pup. Home was where Jake was, and since he wasn't here, Finn hadn't considered finding a home. Home meant family. Home meant security.  
It had been awhile since Finn had these things.  
"It's very nice." Gumball added, stepping forward.  
"It's small, but it works for me."  
"You live alone?" There was a strange almost awe in his voice, as if living alone was something he couldn't imagine someone ever doing. Finn shrugged simply.  
"I do."  
"The house is nice. You must get a lot of privacy."  
"I guess," Finn reached for the door handle, giving it a firm jiggle. The door squeaked open successfully, and just as he was about to step inside, he hesitated, seeing Gumball standing there awkwardly in his peripheral vision, unsure of what to do. He glanced back over his shoulder, shaking his golden bangs from his face.  
"Would you like to come in for a minute? I'm sure you must be busy, but I could offer you some tea or something, I don't know, Prince stuff."  
Gumball bit his lip, considering. He had to be back at the castle by this afternoon with a meeting with the King of the slime people. Slime Princess was looking for an eligible suitor. He shifted from foot to foot. Finn's eyes looked so big and innocent despite his facial expressions. They seemed…trustworthy, and honest. Surely Gumball could trust him. Besides, a moment or two with a new friend wouldn't detain him from returning right? Right.

"Alright, I'm sure a moment couldn't hurt…" Gumball had to duck slightly under the low doorway, and was surprised to find the inside of the cottage to be rustic and warm. It wasn't much, a simple kitchen, a wooden table, two chairs, and a small staircase that led up a few steps to where he guessed Finn slept. Through one of the windows, Ivy grew, making its way up the wall. Gumball sat down in a chair, carefully laying his hands in his lap.  
Finn went to put a kettle on, boiling some water.  
"It really is nice in here though," Gumball said softly, eyeing the growing Ivy.  
"You really don't have to try and compliment it, you're a prince, at least you say you are. If it's true I'm sure you live in a castle, with a great room and no Ivy growing in the walls. I'm sure you don't have to bathe in a stream either."  
"You bathe in a stream?" Gumball asked softly, clearing his throat before he spoke. His voice came out a bit rougher then he intended.  
"Yeah, I do. It's no big deal really, water is water, and as long as I have a bar of soap to clean myself I'm golden." He rolled his shoulder nonchalantly, not bothered in the slightest. Gumball, being a prince, decided it would be more appropriate to move the conversation away from bathing habits, and onto more suitable conversation. He also wanted to get the thought of Finn, stream water dripping slowly from his golden locks, out of his head.  
"Well I do live in a palace, but a palace is no good if you never get any privacy. I can't tell you how little time I get to myself, this is the first time in ages I haven't been forced to sit in a room, one stuck-up princess and their father after another, poking and prodding at me and giving me this awful headache! I have no time for myself anymore, and it feels like no one care's about my decisions. I'm the Prince! If I'm making laws for hundreds of citizens then for globs sake I think I can be responsible running a kingdom on my own, hosting parties on my own, and ruling on my own without a stupid queen! I don't want a bride, I've been running this kingdom alone for four years and I'd be content to that for the rest of my life!"  
Finn listened quietly throughout Gumball's little rant, watching him with thoughtful eyes. When he let out a heavy sigh, he flushed darkly.  
"I-I'm sorry," he murmured softly.  
"I didn't mean to go off into such a heated rant. I must have sounded like such an immature child." Finn shrugged, pushing his bear hood back, once again baring his golden hair. He brushed it absentmindedly from his face, giving a careless shrug. He kept his eyes on the kettle, raising it carefully.  
"It's alright man, everyone needs to let off some steam sometimes, or else they'll go all crazy and junk."  
The pink prince raised an eyebrow at his choice of words, but otherwise said nothing.  
They sat in a comfortable silence, neither speaking. Gumball leaned his head back, looking at the ancient wood of the carved ceiling, contemplating just where the boy with the bear hat had come from. Where were his parents? His friends?  
For someone who was being constantly surrounded by people, the idea of seeming so alone in the world seemed impossible; maybe he'd like to go back to the kingdom with him for a while…

"Ow! Dammit!" Finn stuck his finger into his mouth, setting the kettle back down with a bang. Gumball jumped, startled.  
"Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly.  
"Yeah, yeah, I just burned my finger, boiling water and all. I'm fine," he said, a little hiss escaping his lips at the end.  
Gumball stood, crossing the floor into the tiny kitchen.  
"Here, let me have a look at it. It might need some bandaging. I've had some experience with medical treatment." It was true, the ice-cream cone doctor that ran the infirmary often told him if he wasn't a prince, he could easily practice as a

Small-time doctor.  
"No you don't have too, I burn myself all the time. Cuts too, a lot of blood, that sort of thing. I don't need your help," Finn was already starting to retreat back against the counter, holding his palms up. The little burn spread, a pink and angry stain across his skin.  
"Still I would feel better if you let me take at least a small look, one can't recover from infection…"  
"I'm fine, I've taken care of myself before."  
"All the same, please, trust me?" His eyes flickered up into the depths of blue, giving a little plea. Slowly, Finn pressed his palm into his, letting Gumball prod and gently examine the burn. Finn's skin was surprisingly smooth, and warm, _what would it feel like to feel those hands on his skin? To feel them sliding over his chest…_  
He shakes his head in dismay. Where the hell did that come from? Right now, biting one of his pink lips between his teeth, hair falling into his face, he seemed much younger then he really was. Gumball felt ashamed, Finns eyes were so filled with trust for him right now, and there was no room for such perverse thoughts.  
"Do you have any bandages?"  
"Yes, and some antiseptic upstairs, I'll get it." Finn tried to move, but quickly, Gumball grabbed his wrist, careful to avoid touching the burn.  
"I'll get it in a moment, just, tell me, do you always suck on your skin after an injury?"  
"Yes…"  
Gumball shrugged, flicking a piece of gummy pink hair away from his face.  
"It makes sense, saliva is a natural healer in its own way, it keeps infection from setting in at first."  
"I didn't know that, why do you-," Carefully, to guard his reaction, Gumball lifted Finn's hand, taking one of his fingers and holding it between his lips, carefully sucking on the other boys wound.  
"Y-You don't have to do that man…L-Let me get the antiseptic…Or uh," Finn's face flushed.

"So…" Finn prompted awhile later. Now that his hand was carefully cleaned and bandaged, the two sat outside in front of the house, mugs of tea in hand.  
"So?"  
"Are you coming back tomorrow then? I thought maybe, if you needed some time to be, away from it all, you could come out here?"  
Gumball smiled.

"I would like that."  
Finn chuckled, setting his mug down and pulling his bear hood back up.  
"And I promise this time, _Princey_, I won't tackle you."  
With a smirk and a small smile, Gumball quickly added,  
"Not that I would mind if you did."


End file.
